Adjustable band connection

ABSTRACT

An adjustable connection for a body-encircling band to permit the band to be adjusted to fit bodies of varying sizes and useful with any type of body-encircling band such as a pelvic belt, girdle or the like. The adjustable ends of the band are provided with a plurality of pockets which are aligned and have a metallic stay extending therethrough to lock the bands together.

United States Patent [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS [72] lnventor LeeJensen 1402 Manufactures Road, Chattanooga, Tenn. 37405 883,478

24/31 HX 2/325X 2/325X [21 Appl No. [22] Filed Dec. 9, 1969 [45] Patented July 13,1971

Assistant Examiner-Geo. V Larkin Attorney-John B. Dickman ADJUSTABLE BAND CONNECTION 1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figs.

2/321, ABSTRACT: An adjustable connection for a body-encircling 24/31, 24/265,128/442, 2/325 band to permit the band to be adjusted to fit bodies of varying sizes and useful with any type of body-encircling band such as a pelvic belt, girdle or the like The adjustable ends of the band are provided with a plurality of pockets which are aligned and have a metallic stay extending therethrough to lock the bands together.

1 N0 3 f MN AB 64 mh c r m o d Ld .mF O 55 PATENTED JUL 1 3197:

/A/V[NTUR LEE J ENSEN ADJUSTABLE BAND CONNECTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to body-encircling bands of the type which must be adjusted to snugly fit the body such as pelvic belts, girdles, traction belts and other body-encircling braces of a generally similar nature.

2. Description of the Prior Art Prior art adjusting structures for body-encircling belts normally required lacings, hooks and eyes, buttons and other adjustable fasteners which simultaneously provided an adjustment and also formed the means of opening and closing the belt when it was being donned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The presentinvention incorporates a belt end having a plurality of vertically extending pockets formed therein with the other belt end having two horizontal rows of vertically extending pockets arranged to overlie and underlie the vertically extending pockets of the other end of the belt. A metallic stay extends through one of the upper pockets then through one of the pockets of the other end of the belt and then through a lower pocket with the ends of the stay bent over the upper and lower pockets respectively to secure the stay thereto thus locking the two ends of the belt together BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG, I is a perspective view of the invention with the band ends about to be connected.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the band ends in connected position.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures the reference numeral indicates generally an adjustable body band connection constructed in accordance with the invention.

The adjustable body band connection 10 includes a section 11 of a body-encircling band formed of relatively flexible material and having a tongue 12 extending from one end thereof. The tongue 12 has a height substantially less than that of the band ill and delineates shoulders 13, 14 at the end of the band 11. The tongue 12 has an inner panel 15 and an outer panel 16 which are secured together by a series of vertically extending rows of stitching 17 which are spaced apart to provide a plurality of pockets 18 which extend vertically through the tongue 112.

A second section 19 of a body-encircling band is detachably connected to the section 11 by any suitable means not shown for attaching the band to the body of a user. The section 19 is formed of material similar to the section 11 and has a strip 20 secured along the upper edges thereof by a plurality of rows of spaced-apart stitching 21 to form a plurality of vertically extending pockets 22. The pockets 22 are of the same size as the pockets l8 and are arranged to align therewith as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. A second strip 23 is secured to the lower edge of the section 19 by a plurality of vertical rows of stitching 24 to form a plurality of pockets 25 which extend vertically in aligned relation to the pockets 22. The strip 20 and the strip 23 are spaced apart a distance to permit the tongue 12 to engage therebetween with at least one of the pockets l8 aligned with a pocket 22 and pocket 25 on the section 19.

A metal stay 26 formed of flat malleable material is inserted through a pocket 22, a pocket 18 and a pocket 25 and has its upper end 27 bent over to engage the strip 20 to prevent the stay 26 from disengaging from the pocket 22. The opposite end 23 is bent upwardly against the strip 23 as can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3 into engagement with the strip 23 to lock the stay 26 in its position in the band 10.

While there has been illustrated the use of only a single stay 26 it should be understood that a plurality of stays 26 may be used if desired to form a stronger adjustable connection of the sections 111, 19.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim is:

l. An adjustable connection for a body-encircling band comprising a band section, a narrow tongue integrally formed on said band section and having a plurality of vertically extending pockets formed therein, a second wider section of said band, at least one pair of aligned pockets formed on the upper and lower edges of said wider second section of said band positioned to overlie and underlie a selected one of said pockets on said first narrow section of said band in aligned relation therewith and a metallic stay extending through said pair of pockets and said selected pocket to detachably and adjustably secure said band sections together. 

1. An adjustable connection for a body-encircling band comprising a band section, a narrow tongue integrally formed on said band section and having a plurality of vertically extending pockets formed therein, a second wider section of said band, at least one pair of aligned pockets formed on the upper and lower edges of said wider second section of said band positioned to overlie and underlie a selected one of said pockets on said first narrow section of said band in aligned relation therewith and a metallic stay extending through said pair of pockets and said selected pocket to detachably and adjustably secure said band sections together. 